Poll: Run, Hillary, run!

A majority of Americans want Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016, according to a poll released Wednesday showing the former first lady and senator is more popular than ever before.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll showed 57 percent would back a Clinton run for the presidency, and only 37 percent would oppose one. Two-thirds of Americans have a favorable opinion of Clinton, and only 28 percent have a negative opinion. An even higher number, 68 percent, approve of her work as secretary of state.

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There is a large gender gap in opinions about Clinton. Only 49 percent of men would support a Clinton run, compared with 66 percent of women. Seventy-two percent of women view her favorably, compared with only 58 percent of men.

But Clinton does have an early claim over the left and center of the electorate. Fifty-nine percent of independents and 65 percent of moderates would back a Clinton run in 2016.

Clinton is expected to soon leave Foggy Bottom and return to private life. Clinton has repeatedly said she plans on taking time off and doesn’t plan to run for office, but there are signs she might be positioning herself for a campaign. Clinton is expected to embrace same-sex marriage not long after leaving the administration, and Clinton sent letters to a handful of Democratic congressional candidates who lost races in 2012.

Meanwhile, voters in Clinton’s adopted home state of New York would want her to run but aren’t nearly as enthusiastic about their current governor reaching for the White House in 2016.

Seventy-two percent of New Yorkers have a favorable opinion of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to a Siena College poll released Wednesday, and only 21 percent have a negative opinion. Those numbers aren’t much different from Clinton’s. Three-quarters look at Clinton favorably, and 23 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

But when it comes to president, a majority — 54 percent — want Clinton to run in 2016, while 39 percent want Cuomo to make a bid for the White House.

Clinton’s support is widespread: 59 percent of women, 69 percent of liberals, 58 percent of moderates, 74 percent of black voters and 60 percent of Latinos want her to run. She also gains majority support from every income and age group. Support is weaker among men — 47 percent want her to run — and Jewish voters, who give her a narrow plurality of 49 percent. Conservatives were the only group to oppose a Clinton run, at 62 percent.

percent. Conservatives were the only group to oppose a Clinton run, at 62 percent.

Voters do want Cuomo to run for reelection as governor, with 62 percent saying they would most likely vote to reelect him.

The ABC/Washington Post poll of 1,020 adults was conducted from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Siena poll of 822 registered voters in New York state was conducted from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the numbers on Clinton’s support from Latinos, men and Jewish voters, as well as opposition from conservatives.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Hadas Gold @ 12/05/2012 02:45 PM
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the numbers on Clinton’s support from Latinos, men and Jewish voters, as well as opposition from conservatives.